The Chosen Essay | Critical Analysis: The Chosen

Critical Analysis: The Chosen

Summary: This essay is a Christian analysis of Chaim Potok's novel "The Chosen." This essay explores the characters of the piece.

I was caught off guard by Chaim Potok's The Chosen. Through the first few pages of the novel, I was a bit skeptical of the rest of the story, however, after the first chapter, I was unable to put it down. The story, which was focused mainly on two teenage boys, Reuven and Danny, who managed to developed a friendship despite their vastly different religious Jewish backgrounds kept me engrossed. I was amazed at how the initial distrust and hatred for each other gave way to understanding, and developed into a deep friendship. From the baseball game to the end of the novel, I felt as though I was right there with them, through all of the church services and Shabbat meals.

Although both boys develop more and mature throughout the story, Reuven becomes the most developed character. One of the most predominant ways that he...